Hyundai’s Next Genesis

One of the things that automakers generally don’t like to divulge is how much money they spend on developing a vehicle.

Blog Post: 10/31/2013

Gary S. Vasilash

Editor-in-Chief, Gardner Business Media, Inc.

One of the things that automakers generally don’t like to divulge is how much money they spend on developing a vehicle. For one thing, that can be competitive advantage—assuming that they’ve been able to pull something off for a comparatively low price. And if they spent too much, then their competitors will feel all the better, and who wants to give them that advantage.

500-billion KRW. That’s what Hyundai has announced it has invested in the development of the second-generation Genesis.

The conversion is approximately $455-million.

Which is, on the one hand, nothing to sniff at. And on the other, probably a good investment because when it comes to vehicle engineering, if past is prologue, Hyundai is nothing but relentless.

And know that the engineering for the vehicle, which will launch is Korea later this year and in other markets, including the U.S., next, took four years.

Moon Sik Kwon, head of Hyundai Motor Group’s R&D Center, said, “The evolved all-new Genesis is the product of Hyundai’s best resources and capabilities and we strongly believe it will be a game-changer in the market.”

The rear-drive sedan features a new take on Hyundai’s Fluidic Sculpture design language. It is known as “Fluidic Sculpture 2.0.” From what can be seen from the not-great image, there is a nice gestural sweep to the car, with not a lot of the deep 3D creasing that is part of Fluidic Sculpture 1.0.

Hyundai, which owns a steel company, has been using massive amounts of high- and ultra-high-strength steels in its vehicles in order to provide strength and stiffness without excessive mass. The current generation Genesis has 74% high-tensile steel. The new Genesis is said to be the recipient of even more ultra-high-strength steels to help increase torsional and bending stiffness.

The premium rear-drive car is going to be offered with the Hyundai HTRAC all-wheel-drive system, which electronically controls torque split between the front and rear axles.